Semi annual Newsletter of the Society of Toxicology Postdoctoral AssemblySemi-annual Newsletter of the Society of Toxicology Postdoctoral Assembly
As your 2011-2012 Chair of theSOT PDA I itt d t
with a Postdoc. In the meantime,l l t j i th PDA f
Inside this issue…
Page 1Message from the
Message From the ChairMichele LaMerrill
SOT PDA, I am committed tocontinuing to enhance yourcareer development oppor-tunities through SOT. The PDAwas very productive last year,with several ambitious newAnnual Meeting initiatives As
please plan to join the PDA for awebinar on how to write the aimsof a NIH career developmentaward to be held during NationalPostdoc Appreciation week,September 19-23, 2011. We willcontinue to offer the Best
o Message from the Chair
Page 2o Message from the
outgoing Chair o Best Postdoctoral
Paper Award Annual Meeting initiatives. AsVice-Chair of the PDA during thelast year, I had the pleasure ofworking with SOT postdocs, thePDA Board, and SOT Council topilot Trainee Discussions with thePlenary Speaker, Dr. Tabak,
continue to offer the BestPostdoctoral Publication Award,which you can read about onpage 2.
The PDA wants to keep in touchwith you to bring you the
Paper Award Announcement
Page 3-5o Your Board
membersPage 5o Postdoctoral Plenary Speaker, Dr. Tabak,
Principal Deputy Director, NIH.The PDA also launched Lunchwith a Postdoc through theleadership of outgoing chair,Sarah Campion.
with you to bring you theinformation you need to succeed.Whether you are a SOT postdocmember or a PostdoctoralRepresentative for an SOTgroup, keep in touch viaToXchange or e-mail me at
Representative vacancies
Page 6o Making the most of
SOT’s Web siteo NPA Annual
The PDA Board has alreadybegun to plan events for SOTpostdoc members through thecoming year as well as at the51st Annual Meeting. The PDAwill continue to host ourL h d t
[email protected] tolet the PDA know what you needto do your very best.
MeetingPage 7-8o Finding and
obtaining an adjunct position
Page 9-10Postdoctoral Luncheon and support career
development as well as scientificsessions highlighting traineeresearch. We are working withSOT Council to expand TraineeDiscussions with PlenarySpeakers in order to provide
activities at the AnnualMeeting are evidence of the
Message From the Outgoing Chair
Sarah Campion
productive year. It has been apleasure to serve as the2010-2011 chair of the PDA. Ihave been very lucky to haveworked with many wonderfulpeople, in particular the 2010-2011 PDA b d M
hard work by all of theseindividuals. The activitiesincluded the 50th AnniversarySilent Auction, Conversationwith Dr. Tabak, Lunch with aPostdoc, the PDA Luncheon,th B t P td t l P b Position: A Panel Discussion2011 PDA board. Many
thanks to Michele La Merrill,Anne Loccisano, Vijay Kale,and Marie Fortin, as well asour SOT liaison BettyEidemiller and our SOTCouncil Contact Michael
the Best Postdoctoral Pub-lication Awards, and the verywell attended scientific andcareer sessions sponsoredand organized by the PDA. Inaddition to these AnnualMeeting activities postdocs
Position: A Panel Discussionfor Non-U.S. Citizen EarlyScientists. Many of theseevents and activities wereattended and enjoyed bymany SOT members otherthan postdocs, which is aCouncil Contact Michael
Waalkes for their dedication tothe PDA. I would also like toextend many thanks to theSS, SIG, and RC postdocrepresentatives and all othervolunteers who put in their
Meeting activities, postdocsremained engaged throughoutthe year through 2 Web-based career developmentsessions: Toxicology Outsideof Academia: A World ofOpportunities and From
than postdocs, which is atestament to the influence ofthe PDA throughout theSociety. I look forward tohearing about all of the PDAactivities and successes inthe coming year as wevolunteers who put in their
time and effort throughout theyear. The many successful
Opportunities and FromPostdoc to Permanent continue to celebrate the
Society’s 50th Anniversary.
Best Postdoctoral Paper Award
Enrique Fuentes-MatteiThe Postdoctoral Assembly (PDA) of the Society of Toxicology is pleased to announce the 2012Best Postdoctoral Publication Awards (BPPA). These awards recognize talented andoutstanding postdoctoral researchers who have recently published exceptional papers in thefield of toxicology as a result of postdoctoral research. The SOT PDA encourages all SOTmembers to identify and nominate postdoctoral fellows. Three awards, each consisting of aplaque and a $100 cash award, will be presented at the PDA Luncheon during the 2012 SOTAnnual Meeting. Further information and application are found athttp://www toxicology org/ai/spd/PD PubAwardAnn asp For any questions please contact mehttp://www.toxicology.org/ai/spd/PD-PubAwardAnn.asp. For any questions, please contact meor e-mail me at [email protected].
Eligibility for 2012 Nominations•The research reported in the paper was conducted while the applicant was engaged in a postdoctoralresearch experience•Member of SOT or membership application submitted by award application deadline•First author on a peer-reviewed paper published on-line in print or in press between June 1 2010 and
•First author on a peer-reviewed paper published on-line, in print, or in press, between June 1, 2010, andSeptember 30, 2011•Application supported by letter from the research advisor•Only one publication may be submitted by each applicant•Leaders of the PDA are eligible but applicants will not participate in the award determinationApplications are due by midnight Eastern Time on October 9, 2011.
PDA: the BoardMichele La Merrill, Ph.D., M.P.H., ChairDr. La Merrill is a postdoctoral fellow at Mount Sinai School of Medicinein the laboratory of Dr. Christoph Buettner. She is conductingy p gexperimental and epidemiologic research on the endocrine andmetabolic toxicity of polyhalogenated hydrocarbons with the support ofher NIH K99/R00 grant. Michele La Merrill earned her Ph.D. inToxicology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for herresearch on maternal dioxin exposure effects on metabolic syndromeand cancer with the support of her Department of Defense grant as wellas her mentors Drs. David Threadgill and Linda Birnbaum.
Dr. La Merrill is Chair of the Society of Toxicology’s Postdoctoral Assembly. She is also anoutgoing member of the Endocrine Society’s Trainee and Career Development CoreCommittee, where she served on the Trainee Day planning committee. She was thepostdoctoral representative for the Occupational and Public Health Specialty Section and
l t d ith K 12 Ed ti d C ti i Ed ti d t t d t bvolunteered with K-12 Education and Continuing Education as a graduate student memberof SOT. As Chair of the PDA, Dr. La Merrill strives to provide SOT postdocs with careerdevelopment resources needed to succeed. Please contact Dr. La Merrill [email protected] if you would like to share your career development needs orvolunteer to help with career development programming efforts.
Enrique Fuentes-Mattei, Ph.D., Vice-ChairEnrique Fuentes-Mattei had the honor of being elected as the SOT PDAVice-Chair 2011-2012. He is in his first year of postdoctoral training inthe Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology at the University ofTexas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Fuentes-Mattei’s main areasof research interest follow his postdoctoral training, which include
.
p gimmunotoxicology, molecular biology, receptor mechanisms, andcarcinogenesis.
As the Vice-Chair SOT-PDA, Dr. Fuentes-Mattei wants to welcome you to a new year forgreat achievements among all our SOT postdoctoral members. It is of his great interest tocontinue an active leadership role in SOT and contribute in the development of futuretoxicologists as an officer of the PDA board. His goal in the SOT-PDA is to maintain andimprove our SOT postdoctoral network, and foster the development of SOT future leadersfrom among our postdoctoral members. Our role now is to spread our passion, energy, andenthusiasm to benefit our postdoctoral fellow members, and discover new leaders with theexperience and the commitment to serve for the future of SOT. We all are essentialcomponents to build bridges with toxicology for a better world and for a less toxic
PDA: the BoardEbany Martinez-Finley, Ph.D., SecretaryDr. Martinez-Finley is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory ofDr. Michael Aschner at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in theyDivision of Pediatric Toxicology. For the past year, she has studiedmethylmercury neurotoxicity and neurodegeneration. Her work hasalways been “neurotoxic” in nature. Prior to joining VUMC, shecompleted her Ph.D. at the University of New Mexico School ofMedicine in Biomedical Sciences with concentrations in Neurosciencesand Toxicology. Her dissertation research project focused on theneurodevelopmental effects of perinatal exposure to arsenic. While at the University ofNew Mexico, she was a recipient of a Pfizer Predoctoral Fellowship and an F31NRSA fromNIEHS.
Dr. Martinez-Finley began her involvement with SOT as an undergraduate, attending theUndergraduate Education Program in 2005. She serves as a peer mentor for the sameprogram Her service to the Society has also included the Spanish translation of a slide setprogram. Her service to the Society has also included the Spanish translation of a slide setabout toxicology for the SOT Web site. From 2007–2009, she was the graduate studentrepresentative for the Mountain West Regional Chapter. As a graduate student she alsoheld several institutional leadership roles including serving as the President of theBiomedical Sciences Student Society, Vice-Chair for the Graduate Research andDevelopment Grant, and as a representative to the Graduate and Professional StudentAssociation Dr Martinez-Finley has spent the past year representing postdoc interests atAssociation. Dr. Martinez Finley has spent the past year representing postdoc interests atVanderbilt as the Junior Co-chair to the Vanderbilt Postdoctoral Advisory Committee. Shecurrently holds an adjunct teaching position teaching Anatomy and Physiology toundergraduates. As Secretary of the SOT PDA, she will draw upon what she has learnedfrom previous leadership roles to enhance the experiences of SOT postdocs.
Marie C. Fortin, Ph.D., TreasurerMarie is conducting her postdoctoral research at the Environmental andOccupational Health Sciences Institute (Rutgers/UMDNJ in NewJersey) where she is affiliated with the toxicology and clinical researchdepartments. She is investigating pesticide metabolism in thelaboratory and is also involved in field projects to document exposure topesticides.
Marie has been involved with SOT for 5 years. She previously served on the World WideWeb Task Force and this is her second term as Treasurer. One of the main roles of thePostdoctoral Assembly is to assist postdocs in their career development. Thus, in additionto the Treasurer duties she hopes to keep on providing information to the membershipthroughout the year in the form of webinars She’s also planning on contributing to the
throughout the year in the form of webinars. She s also planning on contributing to theorganization of the postdoctoral networking events for the next SOT meeting in SanFrancisco. In addition to her work with SOT, she is a member of the American Society ofMolecular Biologists, and she also volunteers in local K-12 outreach programs andfundraisers.
PDA: the BoardLarissa M. Williams Ph.D., CouncilorLarissa Williams is a postdoctoral fellow at the Woods HoleOceanographic Institution (Cape Cod, Massachusetts) where sheg p ( p )studies the effect of developmental toxicants on oxidative stresspathway crosstalk with the AHR pathway. Larissa is a graduate ofNorth Carolina State University’s Department of Environmental andMolecular Toxicology where she earned a Ph.D. in EnvironmentalToxicology in 2010. She moved to Cape Cod in October of 2010 andshortly thereafter received an NRSA from the NIEHS to fund herpostdoctoral training. She is a marine biologist interested in intersection of evolutionaryand developmental biology with toxicology. In addition to being SOT’s PDA Councilor, sheserves as the Woods Hole Postdoc Association President and is a visiting assistantprofessor at Wheaton College in Norton, MA.
As Councilor, she will serve as the point of communication with postdoc representativesfrom Specialty Sections Special Interest Groups and Regional Chapters Additionally shefrom Specialty Sections, Special Interest Groups, and Regional Chapters. Additionally, shehopes to coordinate several task forces aimed at institutionalizing involvement of postdocrepresentatives in career development. Specifically, Larissa and the SOT PDA hope thatseveral white papers will be written by committees from Regional Chapters and SpecialtySections addressing region-specific information on job placement and specialty-specificinformation on job placement by top employers by sector for postdocs.
Want to become a Representative?
Larissa WilliamsThere are several vacancies for Postdoctoral Representatives for Regional Chapters,Specialty Sections, and Special Interest Groups. This is a great way for postdocs toacquire leadership experience and meet and interact with toxicologists of all ranks. Pleasel t th ifi k if ld lik t th i td t tilet the specific group know if you would like to serve as their postdoc representative orcontact Larissa Williams ([email protected]) for more information.
Vacancies (as of June 20, 2011)
Regional Chapters Specialty Sections Special Interest Groupsg p
Allegheny-ErieGulf Coast
Lake OntarioMidwest
Mountain West
p y
BiotechnologyClinical and Translational
Ethical, Legal, and Social IssuesMedical DeviceNeurotoxicology
Northland Occupational and Public HealthOcular Toxicology
Making the most of SOT’s Web siteMarie C. Fortin
By definition, a postdoctoral position is meant tobe temporary and this leaves us – postdocs-
National Postdoctoral Association Annual Meeting Michele La Merrill
Th i th l ti f th N ti lbe temporary and this leaves us – postdocs-with the inevitable task to find a “real” job. Oftenwe postpone it… focusing on scientific researchrather than a job search, the former being morerewarding and intellectually stimulating (most ofthe time!). In the lab or in the field, we feel likewe know what we are doing but when it comes
The ninth annual meeting of the NationalPostdoctoral Association (NPA) was held atthe end of March 2011 in Bethesda,Maryland. As the only national venuededicated solely to the postdoctoralcommunity, this meeting provides anopportunity to share ideas successes andg
to a job search we often feel like we do not knowwhere to start. So here are a couple of places –directly from your favorite society website.
First, there is the Career Resource andDevelopment Services Web pagehtt // t i l / i/ d/ d h
opportunity to share ideas, successes andfailures with other people and organizationsworking on behalf of postdoctoral scholars.
The NPA continues to demonstratecommitment to addressing disparities in thepostdoctoral community, providing career
http://www.toxicology.org/ai/crad/crad.asp whereyou can access the Job Bankhttps://www.toxicology.org/ai/newcrad/ to searchpostings or register as a candidate (it’s free formembers). Also, you can use Mentor Match tobe paired with a senior toxicologist with whomyou can discuss science and career interests
postdoctoral community, providing careerdevelopment tools, and developing nationalstandards that ensure postdoctoral fellowshipsuccess. For instance, in 2010 the NPAInternational Officers developed anInternational Postdoc Fellowship Database,and are currently working on a white paper for
you can discuss science and career interests.Finally you can also access the recordings ofEducation and Career Sessionshttp://www.toxicology.org/ai/crad/Seminar.aspthat have been held at the past SOT meetings.
Second, there is ToXchange – ToXchange
the visa application of international postdocs.
Visit ToXchange to download the NPApostdoctoral scholar Core Competencieshttp://toxchange.toxicology.org/p/do/sd/sid=2248&type=0 one page self assessment as wellFASEB’ I di id l D l t Pl
, g ghttp://toxchange.toxicology.org/p/us/in is anonline tool to enhance communication betweenSOT members. A big part of the job hunt isnetworking and you can use ToXchange tosearch the member directory, access memberCVs or post your own, join Communities such as
FASEB’s Individual Development Planhttp://toxchange.toxicology.org/p/do/sd/sid=2247&type=0. These tools will help you selfidentify your short and long term goals andidentify gaps in your skill sets to enable youto take control of your mentoring.
the Postdoctoral Assembly Community, or theSpecialty Section, Special Interest Group, orRegional Chapter specific group to stay up-to-date on what is happening.
Finally, we have on the PDA Web page links toaccess the webinars we have hosted in the past
The NPA 2012 Annual Meeting will be held March 16-18 access the webinars we have hosted in the past.
They provide useful information ranging from thepostdoc to faculty transition to careers outside ofthe academic realm and you can watch them onyour own schedule! All of these resources areon the SOT Web site so make the most out of it! 6
at the Sir FrancisDrake Hotel in San Francisco, CA
Finding and Obtaining an Adjunct Teaching PositionEbany Martinez-FinleyIn this ever competitive job market it isimperative that we do what we can to enhanceour experiences prior to commencing job
What do you need to apply? As with any job youwill need to submit a CV. Other things that youwill need to think about before applying to these
searches. Many academic-scientist positionsare calling for increasing teaching experiencebut how do we obtain that experience? It isdifficult to incorporate teaching into our 80 hourresearch week but it is essential that we do so.NIH has addressed this by institutionalizingteaching along with research postdocs These
positions are developing a teaching philosophyand documenting evidence of teaching. If youdo not yet have any teaching experienceconsider guest lecturing or other programs, likescientist in the classroom, that will allow you tovisit primary and secondary schools and teach alesson While this may not be similar to theteaching along with research postdocs. These
postdocs, collectively called InstitutionalResearch and Academic Career DevelopmentAwards (IRACDA) teaching-research postdocs,are available in 18 different schools in thecountry. Other schools, have integratedteaching along with research components into
lesson. While this may not be similar to thesituation in which you wish to end up, it isteaching experience and will help to broadenyour horizons and your CV.
When should you apply? There is no ideal timeto submit your application for an adjunctteaching along with research components into
their programs. Still others, like VanderbiltUniversity, offer teaching certificate programs. Ifnone of these opportunities are available to you,how do you obtain teaching experience?Adjunct teaching offers an avenue for you to dothis as well as the opportunity to develop your
to submit your application for an adjunctposition. Schools typically retain the CVs ofpossible hires and look at their files when theyneed to fill a position. However, keep in mindthe department may be staffing near the end ofthe academic year and just before the semesterbegins someone may not be able to fulfill theirpp y p y
teaching skills.
How do you find these positions? Start bymaking a comprehensive list of colleges anduniversities in your logistical area and searchingfor job openings. Schools that are most likely to
g ycontract. You should also follow up yourapplication with a phone call or an e-mail to thedepartment head or the person in charge ofhiring. I made a phone inquiry one month after Isent my application and found out the personthat did the hiring was on summer vacation and
be hiring adjuncts are those experiencing largeenrollment and have smaller budgets, likecommunity colleges. These schools are happyto pull from a talented, educated pool ofprofessionals, especially because they can payyou a fraction of what you are worth. The upsidefor you is that you gain the experience that will
my application had been misplaced. Aninterview was established during that phonecall.
What if you don’t have formal experience? Youshould tailor your cover letter and your CV toframe experiences that may not be consideredfor you is that you gain the experience that will
help you land a job. Networking and contactingthe department via email or a phone call issometimes more productive than waiting for theposition announcement. Other types ofpositions to consider may include teachingonline courses hybrid courses and evening
frame experiences that may not be consideredformal teaching but include a component ofteaching such as tutoring, running labs,facilitating workshops, coaching, or leading adiscussion group. Your cover letter should alsoinclude your specific
online courses, hybrid courses, and eveningand weekend continuing-education courses.Museums and libraries also offer classes andtherefore are alternative platforms to teach.
Finding and Obtaining an Adjunct Teaching Positionm (continued)
experiences and/or information about howyou would lead a classroom.
for syllabi from others in the department tosee how other instructors structure theircourses. This will help you cover material
What should you be prepared for in theinterview? Be able to discuss what coursesyou could teach, your style of teaching, andyour reasonable availability. Samples of yoursyllabi, course designs, and studentevaluations will be helpful to demonstrate
i d H i i i
p ythe department feels is important. If you havethe opportunity, observe another instructorteaching and ask them to sit-in and observeyour teaching to provide you with feedback.Remember to set realistic limits on theamount of time that you spend in thel i l l byour aptitude. However, it is important to
show your personality and not necessarilydepth of knowledge during the interview.Bring your own questions like whether or notyou will be expected to hold office hours, ifyou will be given office space, what yoursalary will be and where you will make
classroom, preparing lectures or labs,grading, and possibly holding office hours.
Adjunct teaching gives you a leg up in manyways. It allows you to experiment withdifferent teaching styles and methods, givesyou some insight into different types ofsalary will be, and where you will make
photocopies?
How should you prepare for teaching? Ask
you some insight into different types ofinstitutions, and ultimately makes you astronger candidate on the academic jobmarket.
The PDA Board wants to include your research in the Post-y.Why? This is a great opportunity to share and gainrecognition for your work with your peers. Your article maylead to new collaborations or an invitation to present yourork at a conference or an institution here ou ant to orkwork at a conference or an institution where you want to work.
Please contact Marie Fortin ([email protected]) if youwould like to write a 250-500 word essay on your research.Remember your audience is broad, and you should include theoverarching relevance to public health and current events.
Postdoctoral Activities at the 50th Annual MeetingSarah Campion, Marie Fortin, Michele La Merrill, and Anne Loccisano, 2010–2011 PDAofficers
The Postdoctoral Assembly (PDA) organized several exciting events at the 2011 Annualy ( ) g gMeeting. These events included a scientific session, a career session, Trainee Discussionswith SOT Keynote Plenary Lecturer Lawrence A. Tabak, the PDA Luncheon, and the 50thAnniversary Silent Auction. The scientific session that featured postdoctoral and studentspeakers was co-hosted with the Student Advisory Council. Below is an overview of themain events that were developed and organized by the PDA based on a needsassessments of the postdoctoral community.
Trainee Discussions with PlenarySpeakersDr. Tabak was the first speaker in thenew program. This year the Post-doctoral Assembly (PDA) piloted a newprogram called “Trainee Discussionswith Plenary Speakers” (TDPS). Thegoal of the TDPS is to give trainees theopportunity for less formal conversationwith the plenary speakers in a smallgroup setting. Dr. Lawrence A. Tabakwas the first speaker in this pilot. The
i t ith hi h
attendance of the ticket holders and 100 percent of those responding to the feedbacksurvey indicating that they are interested in participating in the event again. This informalone hour session included discussion of experimental techniques, career advice, and othertopics one would discuss with a mentor. Participants enjoyed the informality, the interaction,the content, the candor, and the small size of the event. The Scientific Program Committee
session was a great success, with high
gwill be continuing this program as part of the Annual Meeting, with invitations to thedesignated plenary speakers. Students and postdocs should watch for the opportunity torequest tickets for the 2012 events.
Education-Career Development SessionAlthough not specifically dedicated to postdoctoral members, the Postdoctoral Assemblyalso hosted a career and development session on the Wednesday morning of the meeting.This session, prepared by Marie Fortin (PDA Treasurer), Anne Loccisano (PDA Councilor),and Sheppard Martin (former SAC officer), was entitled “From Pilot Grants to High-EndJournals: The Science of Writing” http://www.toxicology.org/ai/crad/Seminar.asp .Thesession was very well-attended and well-received despite the early time. Deborah Cory-Slechta, a prolific scientific author and professor at the University of Rochester, JerroldHeindel a Health Science Administrator at NIEHS and Angela K Eggleston a senior editor
9
Heindel, a Health Science Administrator at NIEHS, and Angela K. Eggleston, a senior editorand biology team leader for the scientific journal Nature, provided the audience with hands-on strategies to improve scientific writing skills. They also reviewed common mistakes,provided advice on how to convey ideas in an efficient and convincing way, and insight as towhat makes a paper or a grant a winning one. Your PDA officers are already working onanother career session for next year.
Postdoctoral Activities at the 50th Annual Meeting (continued)Postdoctoral Scholar and Student Scientific SessionThe PDA and the Student Advisory Council (SAC) collaborated again this past year to againdevelop a successful scientific symposium session for the SOT Annual Meeting. This year’ssymposium, entitled “Developmental Exposure to Environmental Toxicants: From Persistenty p p pToxicities to Diseases,” highlighted novel research involving how exposure to environmentaltoxicants disrupts developmental pathways and causes adult diseases. The postdoctoralscholar and graduate student presentations included a wide variety of toxicants and diseasemodels to complement the diversity among SOT members. Overall, the symposium was well-attended and well-received. The PDA and SAC will continue to develop scientific symposia toprovide students and postdoctoral scholars future opportunities to inform the SOT communityb h i i d habout their cutting-edge research.
Postdoctoral Assembly LuncheonThe 2011 SOT Postdoctoral Assembly Luncheon was held on Tuesday, March 8, during theAnnual Meeting. The PDA Luncheon is the one event at the Annual Meeting dedicatedprimarily to postdocs. It provides an opportunity to network with other postdocs and to meetthe postdoctoral representatives from the Regional Chapters Specialty Sections and Specialthe postdoctoral representatives from the Regional Chapters, Specialty Sections, and SpecialInterest Groups, and the officers of the PDA Board. The President of SOT, Michael P.Holsapple, gave the welcoming address, during which he thanked postdocs for all of theirhard work and urged them to continue their involvement in SOT. Several members of SOTCouncil also attended this luncheon, and these guests provided postdocs with insight into theinner workings of SOT and career advice through informal conversations at their tables.During the luncheon Sarah Campion 2010–2011 PDA Chair discussed the PDA activitiesDuring the luncheon, Sarah Campion, 2010 2011 PDA Chair, discussed the PDA activitiesover the past year and presented the Best Postdoctoral Paper Awards winners whoseresearch is highlighted in this edition of the Post-y. The postdoctoral representatives andpostdoctoral award recipients were also recognized for their efforts. Following comments fromMichele La Merrill, the incoming PDA Chair, about activities that postdocs can look forward toover the coming year, there was a drawing for an exciting list of door prizes. The luncheonwas enjoyed and greatly appreciated by all attendees, who look forward to meeting with theirj y g y pp y gfellow postdocs again in 2012 in San Francisco.
SOT 50th Anniversary Silent AuctionIn honor of the 50th Anniversary, the Postdoctoral Assembly Board held a Silent Auction atthe Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. We had many wonderful donations for this event,and the PDA Board would like to extend our thanks to both the item donors and biddersh // i l /AI/MEET/AM2011/ i i i # i f h i ib i dhttp://www.toxicology.org/AI/MEET/AM2011/activities.asp#auction for their contributions andfor supporting the PDA. All proceeds from the Silent Auction will go to the SOT StrategicPriorities Endowment Fund, which will help build for the future of SOT. Contributions totaledabout $6,433, and since SOT is matching contributions to the Strategic Priorities EndowmentFund, this amount will be doubled! We would like to extend a special thanks to Jim Luyendykand Mona Holsapple who both volunteered their time at the live event, and we are alsograteful to all of the PDA volunteers who assisted with the event
10
grateful to all of the PDA volunteers who assisted with the event.
Thank you to all postdocs, SOT staff, and meeting attendees who made these exciting eventsa success. Postdocs who have suggestions or ideas for events to implement at the 2012Annual Meeting are invited to contact the PDA officers http://www.toxicology.org/ai/spd/PD-Officers.asp.
2011 Best Postdoctoral Paper Award AbstractsThe abstracts for the papers receiving the three 2011 Best Postdoctoral Paper Awards(BPPA) follow. Deadline for applications is October 9, 2011 (see page 2).
Dietrich BermudezM d li th I t ti f Bi dModeling the Interaction of Binary andTernary Mixtures of Estradiol and BisphenolA or its Analogues in an in vitro EstrogenMediated Transcriptional Activation Assay(T47D-KBluc)Toxicological Sciences 2010, 116 (2): 477-487 Bermudez L Earl Gray Jr Vickie S487 Bermudez, L. Earl Gray Jr., Vickie S.WilsonExposure to xenoestrogens occurs against abackdrop to physiological levels of endogenousestrogens. Endogenous estrogen levels varyfrom low levels in early childhood to high levelsduring pregnancy and in young women.
Joshua HarrillQuantitative Assessment of NeuriteOutgrowth in Human Embryonic Stem CellDeived hN2 Cells Using Automated High-during pregnancy and in young women.
However, few studies have addressed howxenoestrogens interact with endogenousestrogens. The study was designed tocharacterize the individual dose-responsecurves of estradiol-17β (E2), bisphenol A (BPA),tetrabromo-bisphenol A (TBBPA) and bisphenol
Deived hN2 Cells Using Automated HighContent Image Analysis. Neurotoxicology2010 31(3) 277-90 Harrill, J.A., Freudenrich,T.M., Machacek, D.W., Stice, S.L., and Mundy,W.R.Current in vivo developmental neurotoxicitystudies are costly, time-consuming and labor
AF (BPAF, 4,4'-Hexafluoroisopropylidenediphenol) on estrogen-dependent luciferaseexpression in T47D-KBluc cells and todetermine how binary (8x8 factorial) and ternary(4x4x4 factorial) mixtures of an endogenousestrogen (E2) interact with BPA and/or , BPAF.B th th bi i t f E ith BPA d
intensive. A need exists for more efficient andcost effective methods for developmentalneurotoxicant hazard identification andcharacterization. One approach is to examinechemical effects on in vitro test systems whichmodel the critical processes of nervous systemd l t i l di l it llBoth the binary mixtures of E2 with BPA and
BPAF and the ternary mixture of E2, BPA andBPAF behaved in an additive manner. Mystudy represents a significant contribution to thefield of toxicology by addressing mixturemodeling dynamics of endocrine disruptingcompounds (EDC) and providing a
development, including: neural progenitor cellproliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, neuriteoutgrowth and synapse formation. Advancesin high content image analysis (HCA)technology can be used to measure each ofthese apical cellular processes in a medium- tohigh throughput manner The paper by Harrillcompounds (EDC) and providing a
methodology for accessing said mixtures withan in vitro system. In vitro modeling is beingutilized more frequently for prioritizing possibleendocrine disrupters for further research inmulti-generational studies and for robustmethodology to address and interpret
high-throughput manner. The paper by Harrillet al. (2010, NeuroToxicology 31(3):277-290)describes the use of a human embryonic stemcell (hESC)-derived neuronal model (i.e. hN2cells) in an HCA-based assay for quantifyingchemical effects on neurite outgrowth. Thephenotypic character of the cells was
methodology to address and interpretresponses from tested chemicals.
phenotypic character of the cells was
2011 BPPA Abstracts (continued)
confirmed through immunocytochemistry witha battery of neuronal markers. An HCAassay was then designed, optimized and
human toxicity risk. This report endorses theuse of chemical exposure data to providecritical information on magnitude, timing, andy g p
used to measure the rate of neuriteoutgrowth in untreated cultures. Cells werethen exposed to a variety of chemicals knownto inhibit neurite outgrowth during a period ofrapid growth in the hN2 model. Neuritelengths and cell viability were measured in
g gduration of a biologically relevant dosedelivered to a critical target tissue. Directmeasurement of chemical exposures usingpersonal biomonitoring provides the mostaccurate estimation of a subject’s trueexposure. In this context, our group has
parallel in chemical exposure ex-periments. The data demonstrate a rapidperiod of neurite outgrowth within the first 24h after seeding of hN2 cells. In cells exposedduring this growth period, a concentration-dependent decrease in neurite outgrowth wasobserved in some cases at concentrations
pioneered the development of non-invasivesensors to detect pesticides, metabolites ofpesticides, and effects of pesticides in saliva.This paper, Pharmacokinetics of thechlorpyrifos metabolite 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCPy) in rat saliva, quantifies thepharmacokinetics of a metabolite of aobserved, in some cases at concentrations
which did not concurrently affect cellviability. Collectively, these data demonstratethat hESC-derived neurons can be used torapidly assess the effects of chemicals on invitro neurite outgrowth.
pharmacokinetics of a metabolite of apesticide in saliva; examined implications ofdose, saliva flow rate, salivary pH, andprotein binding on pharmacokineticdisposition; integrated results into aphysiologically based pharmacokinetic andpharmacodynamic (PBPK/PD) model for thepharmacodynamic (PBPK/PD) model for thepesticide; and finally, extrapolated resultsfrom the animal model to humans. Thispaper is novel for salivary pharmacokineticstudies in that it combines in vivoexperimentation with the predictivecapabilities of a PBPK model. Thispcombination establishes utility for non-invasive biomonitoring of pesticides andserves as a potential experimental model forother similar devices assessing exposure ofrelevant chemicals.
Jordan N. SmithPharmacokinetics of the ChlorpyrifosMetabolite 3,5,6-Trichloro-2-Pyridinol(TCPy) in Rat SalivaToxicological Sciences 2010, 113(12):315–325 Smith, J. N., Wang, J., Lin, Y., andTimchalk C
Allegheny-Erie TBACentral States Julia Yue Cui [email protected] University of Kansas Medical Center
Gulf Coast TBALake Ontario TBAMichigan Schuyler T. Pike [email protected] Michigan State University
Mid Atlantic Jason Blum [email protected] New York University School of Medicinej @ y g yMidwest TBAMountain West TBANational Capital Linnzi Wright [email protected] USAMRICDNorth Carolina Christina Powers [email protected] U.S. EPA
